Lacey Pierce

Epsilon presents famous ‘Family’

PWJW_Indy Reviews, Stage , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

By John Lyle Belden

Epsilon Theatrical Company works its unique magic on what is becoming a musical classic, “The Addams Family: A New Musical Comedy.” A Broadway hit with book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, based on the popular characters by Charles Addams, this “mysterious spooky kooky ooky” clan is well suited to the family atmosphere of ETC.

Director and choreographer Buddy Reeder, a native Hoosier who has performed and directed shows nationwide, embraced the vibe of both the company and the show. Performances are upbeat and energetic, employing the stage, the back of the audience, and the aisleways in between.

Reeder said that after casting special actor Sarah Gasper, a devoted fan who has attended more than 125 performances of the musical and appeared in a number of community productions, he was inspired to greatly expand the number of “Ancestors” who haunt the Addams estate. Their near-constant presence – as chorus, in dance numbers, and roaming the audience – help us all feel like part of the show. We also get, during scene and costume changes, some moments of corny humor with a couple of Cave-Addamses played by Jack London and his grandmother Laurie London.

The family members practically stepped out of the old New Yorker cartoons: gregarious patriarch Gomez (Kent Livingston), sultry slender Morticia (Katie van den Heuvel), darkly darling daughter Wednesday (Gemma Rollison), glutton for punishment son Pugsley (Judah Livingston), charmingly eccentric Uncle Fester (Rodney Sciba), feisty Grandma (Tammy Coss), shaggy Cousin Itt (Ezzy Livingston), and butler/looming presence Lurch (Sean Stroup), who ensures that Thing (uncredited) is always on hand.

The plot (similar to the old oddball family comedy “You Can’t Take It With You”) involves the possibility that nearly-adult Wednesday has somehow fallen in love – and with a “normal” boy! Lucas Beineke (Chase Cornelius) is so okay with the weirdness that they are secretly engaged. Their intentions are to be announced at an Addams family dinner with his parents, Mal and Alice (Jim O’Connor and Brianne Snow) of Ohio, as guests. To ensure mayhem, they will play a very Addams party game.

Meanwhile, Gomez and Morticia’s relationship will be tested by Wednesday’s insistence that her mother not know about the engagement (which Pugsley will privately seek to wreck).

We will also find out Fester’s infatuation with a certain heavenly body – which is presented in a nice special effect.

Other Ancestors are played by Norah Amrose, London Bramer, Fender Brokamp, Lydia Capps, Alec Cole, Sophia Dam, Andy DeLoughery, Sophie Eastman, Mark Gasper, Klara Hollaway, Robin Kim, Thomas Kim, Eliott King, Amelia Landrum, Sharon Livingston, Gavin McMillin, Christian Parchman, Breanne Penrod, Lacey Pierce, Maranatha Potter, Brooklynn Shaw, Rain Stafford, Bella Velasco, Olivia Venable, and Luke Wilson, who is also a featured guitarist.

Rollison is exceptional in her central role, which says a lot considering the talent she shares the stage with. Cornelius as Lucas is endearing with gentle bravery. Sciba gives Fester boyish charm and joyous animated demeanor. Livingston gives Gomez his famous combination of wit and being at wit’s end, while van den Heuvel makes Morticia’s demeanor both chilling and seductive. O’Connor delivers the anticipated amount of bluster as Mr. Beineke, while Snow gives us one of the show’s hilarious highlights as Alice.

A not-so-scary spooky treat for your October, “The Addams Family” has performances Friday and Saturday evening, Saturday and Sunday afternoon (Oct. 23-25), at Broadway United Methodist Church, 609 E. 29th St., Indianapolis. Get tickets and info at epsilontheatricalco.org.

Disney next-generation tale on Epsilon stage

PWJW_Indy Reviews, Stage , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

By Wendy Carson

For those of you who are not familiar with the Disney Descendants franchise, allow me to sum up: All of the classic Heroes and Villains now have teenage kids. All villains (including offspring) have been banished to the “Isle of the Lost” where magic doesn’t work and evil is the status quo. Everyone else lived in the “United States of Auradon.”

Epsilon Theatrical Company gives us a glimpse of these lands in “Disney Descendants: The Musical,” performed by an eager local cast of various ages.

Belle (Macie Barker) and the now-human Beast (Jim O’Connor) rule Auradon, and plan to crown their son Ben (Eliott King) as king in a grand coronation ceremony. The youth wishes to heal the rift between his people and those of the Isle, especially as there is now a second generation. In this spirit, he has invited four of the Villains’ kids to attend school in Auradon for a year.

Though there is pushback from both sides, the plans go through and Carlos (Gavin McMillin), son of Cruella DeVil (Mary McDonnel); Jay (Christian Parchman), son of Jafar (Rodney Sciba); Evie (Lacey Pierce), daughter of The Evil Queen from Snow White (Kellie Lawrence); and Mal (Phebie Heath) daughter of Maleficent (Sharon Livingston) arrive at school. The group has plans to steal the wand of the Fairy Godmother (Kate Ambrose) in order to permanently open a portal to the Isle so Maleficent can rule all of Auradon.

Also added to the mix are Doug (Tyrell Smith), the son of Dopey; Chad (Luke Wilson), the empty-headed son of Prince Charming; Jane (Greta Shambarger), daughter of the Fairy Godmother; and Audrey (Adriana Nicholson), daughter of Sleeping Beauty. Rounding out the cast are a few teachers and a huge ensemble of very talented youngsters keeping everything hip-hopping.

As the “bad” kids seek to exploit being good, the “good” kids find themselves acting on their dark side. While this plot may feel a bit predictable (watch for a twist, though), the songs are fun and the whole cast does an amazing job of keeping the show upbeat and enjoyable. Jayson Elliott directs. A couple of big shout-outs to wardrobe director Lawana Penrod who did a stand-out job bringing together a wild group of outlandish costumes that were absolutely perfect for each character, as well as Mary McDonnel and Macie Barker who worked together to give us some lively choreography that really sparkled.

This show is an excellent choice for younger children, so round up your kids and grandkids and head over to catch it or else you might feel “Rotten to the Core” for missing out. Performances are Friday through Sunday, April 17-19, at Broadway United Methodist Church, 609 E 29th St., Indianapolis. Get tickets at epsilontheatricalco.org.

IndyFringe: Sing Down the Moon: Appalachian Wonder Tales

PWJW_Indy IndyFringe, Reviews, Stage , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

This is part of IndyFringe 2022, Aug. 18-Sept. 4 (individual performance times vary) in downtown Indianapolis. Details and tickets at IndyFringe.org.

By John Lyle Belden

Local youth ensemble Agape Theater Company goes with something more whimsical than their usual serious projects with “Sing Down the Moon: Appalachian Wonder Tales,” a musical by Mary Hall Surface and David Maddux that presents familiar fairy tales as they would be told in the mountains of rural Virginia or North Carolina.

This show is also a little different for Agape as it highlights its younger performers, which enhances the innocent fun of the stories’ presentation. In this production, we get three tales you’ve heard before, but not quite like this:

In “Jack and the Wonder Bean,” directed by Brynn Hensley, crafty Jack (Rachel Majorins) climbs the beanstalk to encounter a huge Giantess (Anastasia Lucia, with puppet support by Nate and Jacob Osburn) and escapes back home to his Ma (Harmony Quinn), bringing goods including a magic Hen (Caroline Hildebrand) and enchanted Fiddle (Evangeline Hillebrand).

In the hoe-down song-and-dance number “The Sow and Her Three Pigs,” directed by Kiron Branine and Rebekah Barajas, narrators Ellie Barajas and Rachel Majorins tell of a Mama-pig (Laney Ballard) who worries what her offspring will do after she is gone. Martha (Nora Moster) and Mary (Joanna Barajas) go cheap on building materials, while Nancy (Eden Majorins) finds something even stronger than bricks. Here comes the Fox (Flannery Partain), hungry for bacon. The simple set includes a cloud-wagon for deceased piggies to sit on while awaiting their relatives’ fate, while most of the cast get involved in the do-si-dos (the dance, not the cookie).

Finally, we get the Cinderella variant, “Catskins,” directed by Grant Scott-Miller. An orphan girl (Lacey Pierce) finds a home with a Farmer (Aubri Cottrell) and his Wife (Harmony Quinn). When the Wife dies, the Farmer, embittered by grief, becomes abusive. The spirit of her adopted mother comes to Catskins’ aid with the help of a magic trunk, and the girl ends up a servant to a fine Lady (Anastasia Lucia) and her Daughter (Flannery Partain). It happens that in that land, a Rich Boy (Jacob Osburn) is holding fancy dances to find himself a bride. Our heroine is a bit crafty and doesn’t need talking mice to help her in this interesting version of the old tale.

The presentation is fun and entertaining, and the Giantess puppet is impressive. Remaining performances are 1:45 p.m. Saturday and 5:15 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 27-28, in the Basile Auditorium at the Athenaeum.